Crazy spring

I'm not the first to point out that the long drawn out winter made for an incredibly hectic spring. Several months of yard and barn work crammed into a couple of weeks. It's been ridiculous. In the past month, I've built a new chicken coop in the barn, built half of a new patio for the house, had the new barn wired for electricity, and expanded and improved three animal paddocks. I'm exhausted, but for the most part things have gone pretty smoothly. Just haven't had much online time.

The only serious problem we've had was with one of the new lambs.

About a week after coming home, the ewe lamb started groaning. She groaned on and off for a day or so, all whilst eating and drinking and pooping and peeing normally. Then Tuesday evening I got home to find her in clear distress. Fortunately, we live within easy range of a vet school with a farm animal emergency clinic. The vet said it was an ulcer. Too much stress from being weaned and moved too quickly. Many treatments later, she's much better. I'm still giving her antacid meds twice a day, but she is no longer groaning. Poor baby. The vet warned me that she could seem better and then suddenly die ('decompensate quickly' I think is how she put it), but I think she's out of the woods. We're significantly poorer, but I think we dodged a bullet. We have named her Clementine. Her buddy is Blue. He was very happy to see her when she got home from the vet. They are adorable and far more cuddly and sweet than I expected.